Portable support



Oct' 5, 1954 B. AMES 2,690,788

PORTABLE SUP POR T Original Filed Jan. 24, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 5,1954 B. AMs 2,690,788

PORTABLE SUPPORT Original Filed Jan. 24, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 PatentedOct. 5, 1954 PORTABLE SUPPORT Butler Ames, Boston, Mass.

Original application January 24, 1945, Serial No. 574,364. Divided andthis application April 19,

1949, Serial No. 88,321

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-22) This invention pertains to portable supports forindividuals unable to walk or to bear their full weight on their legs,for example persons who have lost the use of both legs; aged persons; orconvalescents, and relates more especially to an improved support of thekind disclosed in United States patent to Ames N 0. 2,282,689, dated May19, 1942, and in a copending application for Letters Patent, Serial No.574,364, now Patent No. 2,469,- 359, filed January 24, 1945, of whichthis is a division.

In the foregoing application there is shown and described a supportconsisting of a metal frame fabricated of stiff and light but rigidtubing, having side parts and a back part which are hinged together forfolding to collapse the support, the parts when set up for use with theside parts substantially parallel and at right angles to the back partproviding on the one hand a seating space for the occupant in whichthere is disposed a seat upon which the occupant may rest and on theother hand when the seat is retracted a standing space in which theoccupant may stand with the aid of crutches the latter being inserted incrutch staff sockets carried by the side parts of the frame. Wheels areprovided on the side parts so that the support may be propelled along,for example, by foot when the occupant is using the crutches, forsupporting himself and there are hand operable propelling meansassociated with the forward wheels for use in propelling the supportwhen the occupant is seated.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide animproved foot supporting means for the feet of a seated occupant whichwill afford the maximum degree of comfort regardless of the length ofthe legs and their encumbrance. As illustrated a foot support issituated at each side of the forward edge of the seat and includes afoot rest swingably connected by an arm to the side part of the frame tobe moved from an operative position extending generally forwardly anddownwardly from the seat wherein the occupant is seated so that whileseated he may place his feet thereon to an inoperative position whereinthe foot rest is retracted to an out of the way position to clear thespace between the side parts of the frame for an occupant using crutchesand propelling the support by foot. The upper portion of the arm isadjustable in its operative position .to take up and to be secured inany of a plurality of angular positions by a clutch member associatedtherewith and a knurled screw rotatable to control the clutch. The armhas at its lower end a telescoping section permitting adjustment in itsoverall length the latter being angularly adjustable about thelongitudinal axis of the arm. The foot rest is generally elliptical inshape, is attached to the lower end of the lower telescoping sectionsubstantially at right angles thereto for tilting adjustment about asubstantially horizontal axis, and there is a clutch device for fixingthe foot rest at any selected position of angular adjustment relative tothe horizontal axis.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved support showing the footsupporting means extending downwardly and forwardly from the front railof the seat of the support in an operative position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the support to larger scale than Fig. 1but with certain parts broken away, omitted, or in section, showing theleft foot supporting means extending inwardly from the left side part ofthe support;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section, to larger scale, substantiallyon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the adjustment for the upper end ofthe arm which carries the foot rest;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation showing the inner side of the footrest supporting bracket;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation showing the upper end of the foot restsupporting arm;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan elevation view, partly in horizontalsection, showing a preferred form of foot rest;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the foot rest of Fig. 7 viewed from theleft-hand side of the latter figure; and

Fig. 9 is an elevation of a clutch element forming a part of the footrest structure.

As in the patent above referred to and in said copending application,the portable support of the present invention is of foldable type sothat it may be compactly arranged for ease in transporting and storingit, but when in use is rigid and affords adequate support for theoccupant.

As herein illustrated, the support comprises two substantially like sidepart supporting units which, when the device is in use, are disposed insubstantially parallel vertical planes and which are united by a rigidback part. Each of these side parts comprises front and rear legs I and2 (Fig. 1), preferably made of stiff, rigid but thin metal tubing; a topor hand-supporting bar 3,

preferably approximately horizontal and which is united by smooth bends4 and 5 with the upper ends of the legs I and 2; each side part alsocomprising a rigid stretcher bar 3a spaced below the hand-supportingrail 3 and preferably parallel to the latter and which is rigidlyunited, for example, by welding at its opposite ends, to the legs I and2. The back part (Fig. 2) also comprises vertically spaced upper andlower, substantially horizontal bars or rails 6 and I which are rigidlyunited, as by welding at their opposite ends, to hinge sleeves 8 (Figs.1 and 2) forming bearings within which the rear legs 2 of the side partsmay turn. The sleeves, with the portions of the legs which they embrace,constitute hinge connections between the back and side parts. Preferablythese hinge connections are of the kind more fully disclosed in theaforesaid patent to Ames, No. 2,282,689, being so devised that when theknurled hand nut l0 (Fig. 2) is loosened; the sleeves may be turnedrelatively to the legs 12 to permit the two side parts to be swung so=asto lie in substantially parallel planes. When, on the other hand, afterhaving disposed the supporting side parts in operative relation, thenuts l6 are tightened, the hinge connections are locked so as to holdthe two side parts in substantially parallel operative relation and atright angles to the plane of the back part.

In the present arrangement a bow-shaped back rest B is fixed to the rail6, the transverse member of the back rest preferably being approximatelyin the same horizontal plane as the handsupporting bars 3 of thesupporting units.

Each leg 2 of the foregoing support is provided with a wheel llpreferably having a resilient tire and. there are propelling means foreach of the front Wheels in the form of a hand wheel 40 connected by adriving band 30 to a pulley 31 associated With the wheel and by rotationof which the wheels may be driven.

Between the side parts there is suspended a retractable seat 25including a rigid seat frame covered with a flexible fabric, the forwardedge of the seat frame resting on the stretcher bars 3a the seat beingadapted tobe lifted off the bars 3a and moved to anout-of-the-wayposition when not wanted as is clearly described inthe foregoingapplication. Also in accordance with the forc going application, crutchstaff sockets 32 are hingably connected at their lower ends to thestretcher bars 3a and secured at their upper ends to the bar 3 bybrackets 34 to permit free swinging of the sockets toward and away fromeach other soas to accommodate occupants of different size.

Forwardly of the front edge of the seat and secured as willappearhereinafter to the stretcher bars 3a is a pair of independent foot rests45 which form the subject matter of the present invention. Each of thesefoot rests is preferably of generally elliptical shape in plan view(Fig. '7) and comprises a rim portion of hollow tubing and atransversely extending portion 46 also of hollow tubing and extendingalong the major axis of the ellipse, the part 46 preferably being weldedat its opposite ends to the rim. Preferably annular members or washers4'! and 48 are welded to the outer surfaces of the rim at diametricallyopposite ends of the rim and in coaxial relation to the member 46, theannular members 41 and 48 having outer surfaces lying in planessubstantially perpendicular to the axis of the part 46.

A spindle 49 extends through the part 46 and through aligned openings inthe rim of the foot rest, one end of the part 49 being integral with orpermanently united to a plug 50 which is dis posed within andpermanently united, as by welding, to the lower substantially horizontalleg 5! of an angle member formed of thin stiff tubing having asubstantially vertical leg 5m in which is fixedly secured the lower endof theelongate supporting stem 52.

The opposite end of the spindle 49- is preferably flattened or slabbedoff on opposite sides, as shown at 49a and passes through asubstantially rectangular slot 53 in a clutch disk 54. This clutchmember 54 (Fig. 9) has radial teeth 55 on its inner face designed toengage similar teeth on the outer radial face of the annulus 4B, thelatter being fixed as by welding to the rim of the foot rest as abovedescribed. The outer end portion of the square spindle 49 is turned downso as to be cylindrical and screw threaded at 56 and receives aninternally screw-threaded nut 51 having arim portion 58,. preferablyknurled: for manual manipulation of the nut. By screwing: this nut 5!inwardly along the spindle 49, the clutch member 54 may be engagedv withtheteeth on the part 48, thus locking the foot rest to the spindle 49.On the other hand, by loosening the nut 51-, the clutch disk 54 may beseparated fromthe part 48, thus permitting the foot rest to be turnedrelatively to the spindle- 49: so as'to adjust the foot rest to lie atany desired angle to the horizontal.

The foot rest supporting stem section 52: is'provided near its upper endwith a solid plug. 52a (Fig. 3) provided with atransverse aperture andwith slots 63- extending into said aperture and: extending peripherallyof the plug for distances of approximately The stem 52,. with its: plug520., telescopes within a tubular. arm. member 59, having a series ofspaced apertures 60 (Fig. l designed to receive a pin 6-] (Fig- 3)preferably secured at one end to a springclip 62 designed partially toembrace the member 59..

By removing the spring clip and: pin- 61,. parts: 52 and 59 may beadjusted relatively to each other to lengthen or shorten the arm as awholeand may thenbe heldin desired position. of adjustment by insertingthe pin- GI through any selected opening (its and through the openingin: the plug 5211. However, when the pin is thus in place, the part 52amay be turned relatively to' the part 59 tothe angular extent permittedby the slots 63. The position of the foot restmay thusbe adjusted forthe comfort-of the-occupant.

The upper end of'the arm member 59: is rigidly secured, for exampl'e'bywelding, to sleeve member 64', provided at one end with radial clutchteeth 66 (Fig. 5'-)- in its outer. face. These clutch teeth are designedto engage similar radial teeth 51 (Fig. 4), formed on the inner surfaceof a bracket member 68, rigidlysecured to the corresponding stretcherbar 311-. A spindle 69 is arranged within the sleeve member 64 and isprovided with a head 10 at one end of anexternal diameter somewhatgreater than that of the body of the spindle 69. The bracket 68' ispro-- vided with a slot 68!; extending downwardly from its upper edgeand transversely ofthe annular series of teeth 67, the end portion ofthe spindle 69 just tothe left of head 10- (Fi'g. 3-) being slabbed oifor flattened at 68b so that this end portion may bent down into the slotseaof 'the'bracket' 68 The opposite end of the spindle 69* is pro--vided with a portion H of reduced diameter; externally screw threadedand engaged by a manually actuable nut 12, the inner end of the latterbearing against an annular plate or washer 13 closing the end of thesleeve 64. A screw 14 may be provided for holding the nut 12 in adjustedposition. By loosening the nut 72, it is possible to move the sleeve 64to the left as viewed in Fig. 3, so as to separate the clutch teeth 66and 61, thus permitting the member 59 to be swung from front to rearabout the axis of the spindle 69. When swung to the desired position,the nut 12 may be tightened thus holding the foot rest in the desiredposition of adjustment.

If it is not desired to use the foot rests, the nuts 12 may be loosened,and the foot rest stems 52 with the parts 59 swung upwardly and rear-Wardly until the foot rests engage the rear member of the support. If,at the same time the seat be folded back, the entire interior of thesupport is thus left free for an occupant who Wishes to walk, eitherwith the assistance of the crutches or merely by resting his hands onthe top rails 3.

While certain desirable features of improvement and invention haveherein been disclosed by way of example, it is to be understood that theinvention is not necessarily limited to these specific features, but isto be regarded as broadly inclusive of any modifications andrearrangement of parts and the substitution of equivalents such as mayfall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a portable support of the kind having a pair of spaced sideframes, a back frame hinged to the side frames so that the sides andback may be folded into substantially parallel relation to the back, anda seat interposed between the side frames, said seat being movable froma horizontal position between the sides to a vertical position parallelwith the back, a foot rest and a supporting leg connected to each sideframe, each leg having telescoping parts slidably engaged to permitadjusting its length, means for fixing the parts at a selected position,a bracket fast to each side frame having a hole through it, a spindlemounted on the bracket so as to project horizontally inward from theside frame, said spindle having a head which is adapted to engage thesubstance of the bracket bordering the hole at one side thereof, asleeve fast to the upper end of each leg, said sleeve being rotatablymounted on the spindle and having an end portion of it adapted to bearagainst the substance of the bracket bordering the hole at the oppositeside from said spindle head, a nut threaded on the spindle having aportion which bears against the other end of the sleeve and by rotationof which the sleeve and the head of the spindle may be drawn intoclamped engagement with opposite sides of the bracket to fix the angularposition of the leg on the spindle, means pivotally securing a foot restto the lower end of each leg for tilting movement about a horizontalaxis parallel to the spindle, and means at the lower end of each leg forfixing the angular position of the foot rest with respect to the leg.

2. In a portable support of the kind having a pair of spaced sideframes, a back frame hinged to the side frames so that the sides andback may be folded into substantially parallel relation to the back, anda seat interposed between the side frames, said seat being movable froma horizontal position between the sides to a vertical position parallelwith the back, a foot rest and a supporting leg for each side frame,each leg having telescoping parts slidably engaged to permit changingits length, means for fixing the parts, at a selected position, meanspivotally connecting an end of one leg to each side frame for swingingmovement in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis extendingtransversely between the sides, a spindle made fast to the lower end ofeach leg which extends horizontally inward therefrom, a bearing memberrotatably mounted on the spindle, an annulus fast to the bearing memberand rotatable therewith to tilt the annulus with respect to thehorizontal axis of the spindle, a pair of clutch elements, one fast tothe bearing member and the other splined to the spindle and a nutthreaded on the spindle, said nut being rotatable to squeeze the clutchelements into locking engagement to fix the plane of the annulus at anydesired angular position with respect to the leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 205,002 Sheldon June 18, 1878 244,570 Dutton July 19, 1881531,330 Potter Dec. 25, 1894 2,102,336 Roe Dec. 14, 1937 2,236,089Ducavich Mar. 25, 1941 2,282,689 Ames May 12, 1942 2,312,602 Taylor Mar.2, 1943

